Monumento a Daniele Manin

Restauro del monumento a Daniele Manin nel Piazzale Galileo

“Tutto passa; solo l'arte robusta è eterna”.
Théophile Gautier

Il Monumento a Danile Manin si trova sul Viale Galileo sulle colline Fiorentine. Veneziano di nascita è stato uno dei patriottici e politici italiani, mori' a Parigi nel 1857. Il patriota è presentato nell'atto di proclamare all'assemblea del Consiglio di Venezia la ferma volontà di resistere ad ogni costo all'ultimatum di resa posto dall'esercito austriaco, e questo in riferimento al ruolo avuto da Manin quale
presidente della Repubblica di San Marco durante la sua breve vita e alla coraggiosa posizione da lui assunta nel corso dell'assedio della città da parte degli austriaci nel 1848-1849. Nella mano destra tesa lungo la redingote stringe con disprezzo i patti della resa rassegnati dal maresciallo Haynau, mentre la mano destra si stringe a pungo chiuso come gesto di rifiuto alle condizioni imposte. La scultura è posta su un basamento di marmo di Carrara recante sui quattro lati iscrizioni commemorative.The monument to Daniele Manin is located in viale Galileo, on the Florentine hills. Born in Venice, one of the Italian patriots and politicians, he died in Paris in 1857. The Patriot is presented in the act of proclaiming to the assembly of the Council of Venice the firm will to resist strongly to the ultimatum to surrender by the Austrian army. This in reference to the role played by Manin as President of the Republic of San Marco during his short life and the courageous position taken in the course of the siege of the city by the Austrians in 1848-1849. In his right hand, stretched along the frock coat, he clutches with contempt the pacts of surrender signed by marshal Haynau , while the right hand is a clenched fist like a gesture of refusal to the imposed conditions. The sculpture is placed on a Carrara marble base with memorial inscriptions on all four sides.

Historical and artistic information: in 1862 the Venetians, who after the reconquer of Venice by the Austrians (1859), were exiles in Florence, decided to build a monument to their compatriot Daniele Manin (1804-1857), as a tangible sign of gratitude to the city that had hosted them and a due tribute to the patriot, a prominent figure of the Italian Risorgimento. With the liberation of Venice in 1866, the project was suspended but not forgotten, and it was resumed twenty years later, thanks to a new committee of Venetians living in Florence. Having completed quickly the competition to award the work (1888), the statue was commissioned to the Venetian sculptor Urbano Nono, who built it in 1889, the year in which it was cast in Micheli plant in Venice. Sent to Florence at the beginning of the following year, after careful testing done by the sculptor Soranzo and the director of the Regia Accademia delle Belle Arti (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in Venice, Luigi Ferrari, the statue was provided with a suitable base and inaugurated during a solemn ceremony on 9th February 1890, placed at the centre of piazza Ognissanti, which since 1860, was entitled to Daniele Manin. In 1931 the monument was then moved, at request of architect Alfredo Lenzi of the Ufficio di Belle Arti of the Municipality of Florence, to one side of piazzale Galileo, because it limited the enjoyment of the ancient architectures.